TWO CONTINENTS IN ANTARCTICA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19960, 19 November 1934, Page 7

TWO CONTINENTS IN ANTARCTICA

REAR-ADMIRAL BYRD’S CONCLUSIONS LEADER’S LAST FLIGHT TAKEN By Radio—Special to Press Association— From the Byrd Antarctic Expedition (Received November 18, 7.30 p.m.) LITTLE AMERICA, Nov. 17. The long sought evidence, confirming the existence of a trans-Continental passage dividing Antarctica, was found by Rear-Admiral Byrd, who flew over the region, in what he described as the most important discovery of his career as an explorer. Revision of Ideas. After flying about 770 miles in 6 hours 50 minutes, Rear-Admiral Byrd reported that he had aerially surveyed 50,000 square miles, an area roughly between the Queen Maud and Edsel Ford mountain ranges. He said he had noted enough geological evidences to compel the radical revision of existing ideas of Antarctica’s continental structure, if not to prove that there are two, instead of one, continents in the South Polar region. The party included Herald June (pilot), William Bowling (second pilot), Kennett Rawson (navigator), and Clay Bailey (radio operator). The triangle Rear-Admiral Byrd plotted had its apex at latitude 81.05 south and longitude 146.30 west, at which point the surface of the Barrier dipped substantially enough to convince him that the long sought strait lay underneath the water borne ice. From here the flight swung northward into Marie Byrd Land, where he found a mountain range of “majestic size,” which he believes either separates the continent from the main mass of Antarctica, or is an insular group welded together by an ice sheet. Byrd’s Last Flight. On returning, Rear-Admiral Byrd revealed that he may have completed his last flight on the expedition. Physical depletion, resulting from his longisolation at Bolling Base taxes him more heavily than he realised. Contrary to his hopes, he has failed to make a rapid recovery since he returned. Hence he believes that in making dangerous flights, his presence would be unfair to his companions, as he would be a burden to them, in case of a forced landing on an isolated section. As further proof of his conclusions, Rear-Admiral Byrd reported that at the lowest latitude reached, about where he believed the water passage between the land formations should be, he noted unusual crevasse formations and snow colourings, that he is positive marks the meeting place of land and sea ice.